Villas

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT VILLAS - PAGE 5

Three-fourths of the homes in the first phase of Chasemoor in west suburban Burr Ridge have been sold. Developers Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and Burr Ridge Associates, one of the James Companies of Illinois, said pre-construction sales from floor plans began a year ago at the community of 201 homes. "The appeal of these homes to a diverse audience accounts in large part for the success of the sales program at Chasemoor," said Warren James, project manager for Burr Ridge Associates.

The dollar is down the drain, and so is your trip to Europe, right? Wrong. Hotels, restaurants and gallivanting all over the countryside might be too expensive, but there's a way Americans can stay put in Europe and live just about as cheaply as they do at home. Global Home Exchange and Travel Service reduces accommodations costs to zero. All you do is trade your home with a European family's, so while you`re at their house, say, in a posh Paris suburb, they`re staying at your little hovel in the States-and taking care of Muffin and Spot.

With 75 percent of its 544 Arbor Homes and Villas sold, Lexington Homes` Arlington Club in northwest suburban Wheeling has the strongest sales rate of 109 Chicago-area subdivisions, according to a recent study by the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago. Lexington Homes predicts that the Arlington Club will be sold out by the end of the year. According to William Maybrook, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Lexington Homes, the Arlington Club's rapid sales pace is attributable to several factors.

The traditional kitchen is passe for empty nesters and singles who are buying homes today. They want extra dimensions. That's the market evaluation of the architectural firms who designed kitchens for Lexington Homes in northwest suburban Arlington Heights. "People in those markets spend a lot of time in the kitchens, possibly more time during their waking hours there and in the breakfast area, than in any other room in the house," said Bruce Johnston, whose company, Johnston & Associates Inc., Park Ridge, serves as one of the architects and interior designers for Lexington Homes.

You don't have to be a golf enthusiast to enjoy the view from your deck at Ivanhoe Estates. You could sit on comfortable chairs and relax as golfers saunter across the 18-hole and 9-hole courses lining your back yard. Regardless of your athletic abilities, the view is yours to behold. This 130-lot development in north suburban unincorporated Ivanhoe is being built on a 383-acre site. It features 62 villas and 68 single-family homesites. All of the villas and 90 percent of the single-family sites include golf course views.

Hinsdale trustees will consider Tuesday another plan to develop a 24.5-acre property at the southeast corner of 55th Street and County Line Road. In February, a divided Village Board cited high housing density, traffic impact and a desire for more affordably priced housing in rejecting developer Warren James' bid to build 96 attached homes on nearly vacant property, which he boughtd last year from the Suburban Cook County Tuberculosis District. James, of Glenview-based Edward R. James & Partners, subsequently won approval to build 36 single-family detached homes on the property, which is presently zoned for that use. Now, the developer is seeking approval of a compromise plan.

Residents of this capital call it Honeymoon Island, because it is a favorite spot for newlyweds to spend the first days of their lives together. But for the duration of the Persian Gulf crisis, they will have to go elsewhere. The Iraqi government has renamed it the International Peace and Friendship Camp, and it has given the holiday villas over to peace groups flocking to Iraq. With hundreds of hostages sent home, the peace delegations have dwindled to 30 or 40 people most of the time.

Webster's dictionary defines "glitzy" as "attracting attention in an ornate or gaudy way." Synonym: Las Vegas. At least that's the Vegas that the vast majority of people see. There is, however, a more elegant, understated side to the gambling town. It's not out there with the bright neon signs, the castle, the circus, the Roman gods, the pink flamingos. It's tucked away behind the erupting volcano and the rain forest. It's there. You just have to be willing to feed the kitty a cool million during the course of your visit.

Graue Mill Country Residences in west suburban Hinsdale is one of the few builders in the attached housing market offering total interior customization to buyers. "Customization is a feature rarely found in the upscale attached-home market," said Bruce R. Schock, president of the Hinsdale-based Graue Mill Development Corp. "But with 3,000 to 5,000 square feet per unit, we are at that level where buyers can personalize. The larger the units, the more potential for custom work." The third phase of Graue Mill consists of 12 townhouses in one building and 18 villas in three, six-unit buildings.